Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.[1]
The term may also be applied to non-feature films with the minimum length, such as television movies and direct-to-video releases.
Feature length can also be used to describe an episode of a TV series that has been extended to the length of a feature film. Such feature length episodes are usually series pilots, holiday specials or season finales.
The earliest known feature length narrative film in the world was the Australian production The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), which was 60 minutes in length. Five-reel features became common practice in the industry in 1915. During the silent era a one-reel short ran for an average of 10 minutes, and a two-reeler (usually a comedy) for 20 minutes, thus a feature was around 50 minutes or more.